Is this Iain Duncan Smith's final croak? With 24 hours left before nominations close for the Tory leadership, it seems more than likely that next week Tony Blair will be facing his old sparring partner, Michael Howard, across the dispatch box at PMQs. No more Freddie the Frog.

So, knowing MPs' penchant for shameless sentimentality - despite having knifed Mr Duncan Smith in the back - expect today to be closer to a retirement party than a vicious joust.

Actual policy topics that might get an airing include gun crime, windfarms, the EU and, of course, fireworks.

Midday It's a sea of poppies in the chamber, and Mr Blair begins by paying tribute to the British marine killed in Iraq last week.

Labour Linda Perham kicks off on the "misuse of fireworks". Mr Blair praises the anti-social behaviour orders and the new laws on possession of fireworks.

12.01pm Mr Duncan Smith gets to his feet, to prolonged murmurs of approval. He hits the Labour cheerers with a gag he's prepared earlier: "They should have registered to vote last Wednesday."

Mr Howard is sitting at his right-hand side.

Mr Blair "wishes him well in the future". An inaudible heckle prompts universal laughter.

On Iraq, the prime minister says: "This is not the coalition versus the Iraqi people," but the coalition forces against the loyalists to the Saddam regime.

Mr Duncan Smith thanks the prime minister "for his kind words", and asks how long it will be before we can hand over to an Iraqi-led government.

Mr Blair reads out a list of triumphs, from the clearing of Iraq's canals, the opening of its universities, the sale of satellite dishes, and the flourishing of "170 newspapers" - "progress of sorts", he jokes.

However, he concedes that "terrorist groups are pouring into Iraq at the present time". But we need to expose the propaganda about being there to seize the oil, he says.

12.10pm Former minister John Denham welcomes extra police numbers, but warns that until Britain gets its alcohol behaviour problem sorted out, they will just spend a lot of time policing drunks.

Charles Kennedy pays brief tribute to Mr Duncan Smith before asking if the prime minister agrees with his chancellor's warning on tax unananimity across the EU.

Mr Blair refers MPs back to his joint Financial Times article with the prime minister of Estonia. People laugh at him. "An important new alliance for us," he responds, with a grin.

12.14pm Labour's Andrew Miller hopes for the "rooting out" of racism in the police force. Mr Blair blames a "small minority" of officers.

Talking of racists, Tory Ann Winterton - sacked by Mr Duncan Smith for making a joke about Pakistanis at a rugby club dinner - gets up to condemn the creation of regional assemblies in the north, launched by John Prescott this week.

12.15pm Mr Duncan Smith is back - he's asked this question 18 times over the past two years, he jokes, and a "fat lot of good it's done me", but when will the prime minister give the British people a vote on the new EU constitution?

And, for the final time, the Tory leader gets his favourite catchphrase in: "NOBODY BELIEVES A WORD HE SAYS ANYMORE."

Mr Duncan Smith sits down as leader of the Conservative party for the final time.

12.20pm Labour trouble-maker Graham Allen for once praises the prime minister for intervening to help the Suez veterans gain the recognition they deserve.

Tory Richard Ottaway brings up Diane Abbott - "if he lived in Hackney would he send his children to the local schools?"

Mr Blair says it's a private matter for parents to decide, but that the government is making education better as a whole. "More teachers, more classroom assistants - that is the real commitment to state education."

But there's no let-up. Tory Philip Hammond asks what advice he'd give to parents in Hackney who are worried about the performance of local schools.

It should not be personalised around one member of parliament, Mr Blair stonewalls.

12.25pm "Why are we continuing to sell arms to Israel?" demands Lib Dem Jenny Tonge. We have the strongest inhibitions in the EU, claims Mr Blair, but we should not discriminate against any one country.

Archie Norman claims that one in five A&E departments may have to close at night because of the working time directives. Postpone implementation, he recommends.

It's already in force, Mr Blair points out, but admits there is point about junior house doctors.